


Part 18 Vanaheim Vacation

by xxxRIPLEYxxx



Series: The Princes of Midgard [18]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Anal Sex, Established Relationship, Fanart, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Multi, No Angst, Oral Sex, Sex Magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-03
Updated: 2021-02-03
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:34:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29005380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxxRIPLEYxxx/pseuds/xxxRIPLEYxxx
Summary: The boys finally get that trip to Vanaheim for some fun and relaxation. They come home with some good memories and a permanent reminder.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Loki, James "Bucky" Barnes/Loki/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Loki/Steve Rogers
Series: The Princes of Midgard [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1469486
Comments: 28
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is all just pure fluff and fun. No one's dying, no one's hurting. Just fun, sex, and ink. A brief respite from the responsibility of power.
> 
> Happy Birthday to Winters doll! You’re always there to brainstorm and let me bounce ideas off you. 💋
> 
> The beautiful banner art and the tattoo are from the talented hands of Aivelin. Check out his other works on Tumblr [here](http://Aivelin.Tumblr.com)  
> 

It was unavoidable, really, as hard as Loki had tried without resorting to outright rudeness. Ever since they’d gotten back from Knowhere, Thor had been pressing them to visit New Asgard, and now Loki sighed deeply as his brother’s enormous arms enfolded him. The celebratory bonfire had been burning in Frigga’s Garden in the community park for two days as people came and went, greeting them and making small talk.

Norway had voted overwhelmingly to take the unprecedented step of carving out a piece of their country to gift to the Asgardians as a territory in exchange for their pledge to abide by Norwegian law. New Asgard was thriving. Loki, Steve, and James had gotten the full tour of the two breweries, which produced their primary export, and then had been hustled to a night of celebration at the Great Hall.

Steve and Bucky had listened raptly to The Bard’s newest epic song, which was all about Loki. He’d tried to avoid it, but a night of drinking in the Great Hall pretty much demanded the singing of traditional songs about the gods, and Loki’s Showdown in Central Park was making its way into their cultural history.Steve and Bucky thoroughly enjoyed listening to Loki being sung about, especially when Thor and even Heimdall joined in, to Loki’s embarrassment.

Tonight was their last night here, since they had to be back in New York soon for Sylvie’s first court appearance. Loki had been making an effort to spend time with his brother and it was going better than he’d expected.

The combination of the firelight and the silvery glow of the half-moon illuminated the blond hair and smiling face of the God of Thunder. To Loki’s surprise, he was comforted by Thor’s scent and the protective embrace of those gigantic arms, and was overcome with an uncharacteristic desire to relax into them. Perhaps it was the three six-packs of Asgardian Ale they’d consumed over the last couple of hours.

“Thank you, Thor,” he murmured softly into the golden god’s ear, not quite sure why he’d said the words.

“For what?”

Thor seemed genuinely puzzled.

“For being there these past few months. For understanding. For supporting the three of us when it would have been easy to distance yourself. I know you were upset that Steve and James didn’t take you along to Knowhere, but it’s more than enough knowing you wanted to go.”

He immediately realized bringing up Knowhere might have been a tactical error, since Thor didn’t know the real story and Loki had no desire to tell him, so he changed the subject before his brother could start asking questions.

“Steve and Brunhilde seem to be hitting it off well, don’t they?” Loki pointed to the two of them deep in conversation, and Thor laughed.

“Yes, I imagine she’s regaling him with tales of her exploits as the best Scrapper on Sakaar.”

On cue, Steve burst into loud, raucous laughter, throwing his head back and holding his side, and Brunhilde slapped him so hard on the shoulder hestaggered sideways. Then, they both collapsed into giggling heaps onto one of the benches near the fire, and Loki felt himself bristle. How long had it been since they’d laughed like that together? He couldn’t remember if they ever had.

He glanced around, looking for James, and stiffened when he heard a woman’s shriek coming from the other side of the fire. He and Thor stepped around to see what was happening and saw a group of people headed purposefully to a clearing where there was already a noisy, inebriated crowd gathering.

In the center of the clearing, James stood facing Korg, arms straight at his sides, fists slowly clenching and unclenching. After they’d exchanged a few words, a man set a match to a line of oil that had been poured around them in a large circle, and a flame about six inches tall surrounded them.

“Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen! Our honored guest, Midgardian warrior James Barnes versus Asgard’s undefeated Champion of the Fire Circle—Korg! The rules are simple. First one to break the circle loses. You have one minute to place your wagers.”

Loki and Thor knew exactly what was happening, but Steve did not, having been engrossed in his conversation with the Valkyrie.All he saw was Bucky getting ready to fight, and before anyone could stop him, he’d jumped into the ring next to him.

Bucky turned to look at him and rolled his eyes as he peeled his shirt off over his head.

“Steve! What the fuck? You don’t think I can take this pile of rocks by myself?”

Steve shook his head and smiled sheepishly, realizing he’d overreacted, and started to walk away, but Bucky grabbed him by the arm and yanked him back in for a quick kiss. The crowd whooped and whistled, and Bucky grinned.

“But, thanks for having my back. Now, go place a big, fat bet on yours truly,” he grinned.

Steve pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket and handed it to the referee, then joined Loki, Thor, and Brunhilde to watch.

“Well, that was a little embarrassing,” he whispered to Loki.

“Don’t be embarrassed. You’re respected here and they would’ve loved to see you fight. Besides, it’s not as embarrassing as the time Thor and I faced off in a ring like this and he crash-landed face-first in the mud when he tackled an illusion of me.”

Thor guffawed and slapped Loki on the back.

“That was a good one, brother. I was angry at you for a week.”

Steve watched the two brothers laughing together and thought about how little he knew of their relationship. They’d been brothers ten times as many years as he and Bucky together had been alive. He knew nothing about their thousand years of history together, other than what he’d seen when Loki first came to Earth, and now he knew that hadn’t even been the real Loki. That had been one tortured piece of the man he’d become, and his life on Asgard was still mostly a mystery. Cassandra probably knew more than he and Buck did, at this point.

But, now was not the time for that. Steve’s eyes and attention moved to Bucky as he circled around Korg, arm shining brightly in the firelight and sweat dripping down his rippling pecs. This was part of the reason he seldom watched Buck and Loki when they wrestled or sparred—it was difficult to keep his mind on the action when his dick kept distracting him by getting uncomfortably stiff. The knowledge that he’d have that hard, glistening body sweating and panting under him later tonight wasn’t helping, either. Not a problem for Korg, though, he chuckled to himself.

Bucky studied his opponent as he circled around, trying to decide on a plan. He’d heard about this guy a long time ago, but yesterday was the first he’d seen of him in person—a man made of rocks. He was quick with a joke and Bucky liked him very much. But, he knew punching wasn’t likely to get him anything more than a broken hand, so he tried a kick to the knee to see whether it would even send him off balance. The rock man stumbled sideways a little, but that was all, and he countered with a sweeping back-hand fist to Bucky’s rib cage. He was surprisingly quick for being made of rocks, and Bucky only managed to partially jump back. The solid _thump_ of a rock fist connected with his ribs, and he felt bones crack.

The whoosh of air from his lungs was drowned out by the crowd’s sympathetic groan as he was thrown into the air and landed in a heap near the edge of the circle. Steve grimaced and shook his head as Bucky climbed to his feet, folded over and holding his ribs.

Apparently, Korg was accustomed to winning these fights pretty quickly and easily, because he was already striding across the circle with both fists in the air, completely ignoring Bucky. When Korg reached the opposite side, Bucky committed to all-or-nothing, because if this didn’t work, he’d land well outside the circle. He also knew there was something very wrong with his breathing and this would be the last move he made in the match, no matter what. So, he took two running strides and launched himself at Korg, twisting in mid-air to hit him dead center-mass with both feet in a brutal sacrifice kick. Korg’s arms windmilled ineffectually and he teetered forward, landing with a thunderous crash outside the circle. Bucky landed hard on his left side, but all his parts were still within the fire ring, and he struggled to his feet, grunting with every breath.

The crowd cheered and the referee pulled his hand into the air, proclaiming the victor like a referee at an MMA fight.

“Winner and new Champion of the Fire Circle, James Bucky Barnes!”

Some of Korg’s pieces were scattered in a ten-foot radius, and he was in the process of reassembling himself when James stiffly made his way over. The crowd buzzed approvingly to see the new Champion such a good sport about his win.

“Good fight,” Bucky grunted, extending a shaky hand down to the rock man. He couldn’t see exactly how he’d be able to help him up, because he could barely hold himself up, but it was the gesture that counted, and Korg took it in the spirit it was intended.

“Freaking awesome job, human. No shame losing to a man like you. Can I buy you an Ale?”

“Yeah, maybe in a few minutes. I...uh...I think I need to find Loki.”

Before he could get very far, he was surrounded by people congratulating him, thumping him on the back, and offering to buy him drinks, but his vision was blurring and browning around the edges. He managed two unsteady steps towards Loki and collapsed, his breaths shallow and rapid, getting shallower by the moment. He barely had enough air to make a sound and the word came out as little more than a raspy whisper as he lay gasping in the grass.

“ _Loki_.”

In a matter of seconds, both Loki’s and Steve’s blurry faces were over him, Loki’s brow furrowed and Steve’s mouth a tight line as Loki’s hand glided over his rib cage.

“Broken ribs and a punctured lung, but it’s all right. You’ll be fine, James. We’ve got you.”

Bucky felt the too-familiar warmth of the healing spell penetrate into his chest. Within a few minutes, he was breathing nearly normally and his vision steadied.

“I guess...wow...I guess that’s what happens when you get slammed in the chest with a pile of rocks,” Bucky smiled weakly.

“If it’s any consolation, Korg is still trying to put himself back together. He can’t find most of his left thigh,” Brunhilde commented wryly, leaning over Steve’s shoulder and grinning at him.

“You idiot. You should’ve stayed down,” Steve grumbled, as he wedged a hand under Bucky’s shoulder and helped him sit up.

“Pot, meet kettle,” Bucky said, with as much of an eye roll as he could manage.

Loki and Steve each stretched one of his arms around their shoulders and led him toward a bench at the fire. Thor and Brunhilde weren’t far behind, and they each embraced him, being careful not to squeeze too hard.

“You are fortunate to have my brother at your side. I’ve seen men die of such injuries before they could be gotten to a healer. Perhaps you should get some rest, Friend James, and we’ll meet for breakfast tomorrow before you go back to New York,” suggested Thor, and Loki nodded.

“Steve, would you mind keeping an eye on James for awhile? He should be fine, but it would be best if his newly-healed lung tissue isn’t put to too much stress tonight. He needs to rest and I need to speak to my brother. I’ll see you back at the cabin.”

“Um, sure. Everything okay?”

Loki exhaled a long breath and smiled.

“Yes. For once, everything _is_ okay. I’ll be back soon.”

He winked and strode away, laughing and arguing with Thor.

*****

Loki had been gone for a couple of hours and Bucky was sound asleep. The punctured lung had derailed Steve’s plans to be balls-deep in the new Fire Circle Champion’s perfect ass by this point, so he popped open another Ale and sat on the front steps of the cabin, looking up at the night sky. The view from here was breathtaking, especially after having grown up in New York, where you could almost never see stars. He’d meant to ask Brunhilde if you could see Vanaheim from here, but forgot amidst all the Bucky excitement.

A quick movement in the distance caught his eye and he spotted Loki across the courtyard, the moonlight highlighting his handsome face. He seemed happy and at ease, and Steve hadn’t seen that purposeful, confident strut in quite awhile. It was damn sexy, and his pants started to tighten again, watching him stride towards the cabin.

“How’s our patient?” asked Loki, dropping onto the step next to Steve and accepting the offered bottle of Ale, while Steve retrieved another from a cooler on the porch.

“A sarcastic pain in the ass, but he’s sleeping like a baby. Passed out as soon as I got him showered and tucked in. Loki, can I ask you something?”

“Of course. I’ll answer as best I can,” he responded with a subtle smile.

“You know I’m finally getting wise to how you answer questions when you don’t want to answer questions. Maybe just tell me you’ll answer honestly.”

Loki cupped Steve’s chin in his hand and kissed him softly.

“I promise I’ll answer as honestly as I can.”

Steve rolled his eyes and sighed, but knew that was as good as he was likely to get.

“Why haven’t you ever told us anything about your life on Asgard—your history, your relationships—anything, for that matter? Watching you and Thor together these last two days made me realize how much I don’t know about you, and I want to know. We’ve been together over a year, now. You’ve lived ten of my lifetimes, and I know nothing about nine-and-nine-tenths of them.”

Loki took a sip of ale and dipped his head, considering how best to answer.

“What would you like to know?”

“Anything, I guess. Did you and your father ever make peace? I never knew my father because he was killed before I was born. From what I know of your relationship with yours, I might be a little bitter, if I were you.”

“Ah, yes...Odin. He made an attempt, but it was too little, too late. To call me his son and tell me he was proud of me five minutes before he died? That was supposed to make me forgive and forget? He was only easing his own conscience. He lied to me most of my life, and even when he told me what he swore was the truth, I think he was still lying.”

“About what?”

“About who I am. What I am. Maybe Laufey really was my biological father, but one look at me next to a real Frost Giant will tell even the most casual observer that I’m not full-blooded Jotunn. I’ll never know who my biological mother was, but I’m convinced she was Aesir, not Jotunn. And, you know what’s ironic? The one I look most like is the sister we killed.”

“Hela? Really? You think you and Hela had the same mother? I can’t even imagine not knowing who my mom was.”

Loki shrugged and looked up at the stars.

“It’s possible. I have no way to know, now. Everyone I could’ve asked is gone except Heimdall, and he’s not talking. Says he swore an oath.”

He stood and extended a hand down to Steve.

“Walk with me. I want to show you something. When was the last time you checked on James?”

“About five minutes before you got here.”

“He’ll be fine for awhile, then,” Loki said, heading for the woods behind the cabin.

New Asgard was on the rugged, wild coast of Norway, and there were fairly dense woods as well as rocks and boulders everywhere. Just to the North was a rocky cliff about thirty feet high that faced the ocean, and they walked a trail that seemed to be heading that direction.

“Can we be done with questions about my life for the time being? I’d rather speak of happier things. Plans for tomorrow, for example.”

“Mmhm. You already told me more than I really expected. Where are we going?”

“A place where I understand lovers often go to stargaze and be alone.”

“Sounds promising,” Steve whispered and squeezed Loki’s hand.

“Why, Captain...are you feeling romantic?”

“I don’t know if ‘romantic’ is the right word, but you look damn good tonight. Being happy suits you.”

When they reached the bottom of the cliff, Loki motioned to a set of stairs carved into it, leading up to a plateau at the top.

“After you.”

Steve caught his arm and shoved him against the smooth rock beside the stairs, pressing hard into him with his body, and Loki felt Steve’s erection firm against him.

“Like I said, I’m not sure ‘romantic’ is the right word, but we can start with a kiss and go from there,” he smirked.

Loki was a little startled, but recovered quickly and parted his lips when Steve kissed him. His breath was hot in the cool night air and Loki moaned softly, pulling his hair aside and tilting his head back to offer Steve his neck. His skin shone like silver in the moonlight and his jugular vein was prominent and inviting. The fact that Loki offered it to him so freely sent blood rushing to his cock.

“ _Mmm_...I love it when you do that. Makes me feel like I own you,” he whispered, breath hot in Loki’s ear and the possessive tone unmistakeable.

Steve’s electric blue eyes shone in the moonlight and the pure lust in them nearly took Loki’s breath away.

“You do own me, Steve. Heart, body, and soul.”

 _“Oh, damn.._.you know what it does to me when you say stuff like that _...”_

Steve’s voice trailed off as he bit into Loki’s neck, softly at first, then worked his way farther down and bit a little harder as the god moaned and tensed under him. He slammed Loki’s wrists against the rock wall just over his head, pinning him while his mouth locked onto the tender skin just below the corner of his jaw. Steve was rock-hard already, and it sent warmth coursing through Loki to feel Steve’s hands holding him in place.

“Someone could see us here, you know. It’s a well-known spot for lovers,” Loki breathed into Steve’s ear, voice low and rough.

“Then, we’d better be quick, huh? Because you’re not getting away until I’m done with you. Besides, I thought you had an exhibitionist kink now.”

He released Loki’s hands and leaned his forearms against the rock on either side of the god’s head, then nipped his ear playfully and whispered into it.

“Unlace and show me that big, alien cock.”

Loki had only been partially erect until then, but Steve’s words and the commanding tone of his voice sent blood rushing between his legs, and he was hard instantly. He did as he was told, their eyes locked and faces inches apart as Loki pulled his erection out between the layers of soft leather. He felt the heat rising from Steve’s body and his own skin heating in response. The smell of Steve’s desire was strong and all over him when he looked down, licking his lips.

“Now me. And, spread your legs a little.”

Loki unzipped Steve’s jeans and opened them enough to push his underwear down. Steve was already so hard, his cock nearly sprung out on its own. With Loki’s legs spread, that put their pelvises at exactly the same height, and Steve jammed his up against Loki’s. One hand wrapped around both their erections while the other fisted a handful of black hair, and Loki groaned. Steve’s hand was dry and rough and his grip was tight, but it felt _good._ Like he was taking what he wanted—what was his—and it made Loki’s pulse pound.

“What do you want, Captain? Me on my knees? Do you want to be inside me right now, to feel me tight around that thick, beautiful cock?” Loki asked, voice husky and lips brushing the shell of Steve’s ear.

But, Steve’s fingers just tightened in Loki’s hair and yanked his head away.

“No. What I _want_ is for you to be quiet and do what I tell you. I want to see your face when I make you come. I want to hear you moan and feel you shake and know that I did that to you.”

Three slow, hard strokes and Loki nearly melted, with Steve’s callused hand on the outside and the soft, silky skin of his cock on the inside of that circle.

_“Oh...dear gods...Steve...”_

He stroked both of them in long, firm motions, and Loki’s fingers dug into his shoulders.

“Just tell me what you want. I want to give it to you, Captain.”

Steve’s left hand slapped over Loki’s mouth.

“I said be quiet. The only thing I want to hear from you right now is the sounds you make when I control you like this. I can damn near come from that alone. God, I’m so hard right now, I’m about to explode.”

The sight of Loki’s half-lidded eyes and the low moans coming from his open lips were almost enough to push Steve over the edge, but he waited until Loki was thrusting into his fist and drops of both their pre-cum were dripping down the outside of his hand.

 _“Mm...yeah...that’s it.._.you’re almost there, I can feel it. You’re so hard and perfect. Come for me.”

His right hand sped up and the vibrations against his left palm from Loki’s moans were almost more than he could stand, but he held out until Loki shot a fountain of cum straight up into the air.

 _“Ah...fuck...Steve._..”

And that was enough. Steve’s whole body shuddered as he covered the god’s chest and face with cum, and then rested his forehead against Loki’s. He tugged Loki’s hair and bit his neck one more time, voice rough and raspy.

“I wish someone had seen us. I want them to know just how _mine_ you really are, you fucking sexy alien god.”

Loki laughed and kissed him, still breathing fast and a little cum still on his lips, before he tucked himself back in his pants and cleaned them both up.

“Well, that certainly would have done the job. Maybe you should let that part of you out more often, Captain. I like it.”

“Maybe I will. But, come on. You can’t tell me you weren’t thinking about sex when you brought me out here.”

“I suppose it crossed my mind, but I really did bring you here to show you something. Seems a little anti-climactic now, though,” Loki smirked.

He climbed the steps up to the plateau with Steve right behind, and even with a half-moon, the sky was dark enough to see more stars than Steve had ever seen from New York. Loki pointed to a dim one fairly low on the horizon, low enough it couldn’t have been seen from the park with the trees in the way.

“There. That one. That’s Vanaheim. That’s where we’ll be tomorrow night, if you both still want to go.”

“ _If_ we still want to go? Are you kidding? But, why the sudden urge to do it now?”

“Spending time with Thor got me thinking about some of the more pleasant parts of growing up on Asgard, and Vanaheim was one of them. And, when James was panting his life away on the ground in front of me, it reminded me again how unpredictable life is. The Norns can cut your thread on a whim and you’re gone forever.”

“The only reason it didn’t happen to me was because you had the power to do something about it. And, when Buck told me you were planning to track down and kill everyone in HYDRA and then leave Earth together, I...I’ll never forget that.”

He paused for a moment and swallowed hard.

“In Buck’s case, I guess I didn’t take it too seriously because you were there. I never doubted for a second that he’d be fine, and I was more annoyed than scared. Sometimes, I forget how lucky we are to have you around all the time.”

“And it will always be so for as long as you want me,” Loki said, squeezing his hand.

“This last thing was Buck’s own fault, but we both know it could’ve been either of us doing something just as dumb as drunk-fighting a pile of rocks,” Steve chuckled, slipping an arm around Loki’s waist and pulling him in tight.

“Just as dumb? I’m not so sure about that,” Loki scoffed.

“But, in any case, I needed to talk to Heimdall so he could take a look and make sure everything was quiet enough on Vanaheim for us to relax and enjoy it. He keeps a close eye on it.”

“Really? Why? Doesn’t he have to keep track of literally everywhere?”

“Heimdall is sworn to protect Asgard and will do so until the end of his days, but he is Vanir, originally. One of the few gods of Vanaheim left after the Aesir-Vanir War. As I know now after Hela’s revelations, Asgard nearly wiped them out.”

“Damn, Loki. You and Thor really do come from a long line of conquering badasses. All this time, humanity thought we were the badasses, and we’re really nothing but ants to your boot. Isn’t that what you said to Fury when you first came to Earth?”

“Well, yes...but I like to think I’ve grown as a person since then,” he said softly, slipping an arm around Steve’s shoulders.

They stood quietly, watching the stars for a few minutes until Steve slapped Loki firmly on the chest.

“Come on. Let’s go make sure Buck didn’t wake up and decide to go ice climbing while we were gone.”


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, they packed a few essentials, which Loki stashed in his magic storage pocket, and teleported to Vanaheim.

Steve and Bucky were awestruck. For city boys whose experiences in nature consisted mainly of what they’d seen during training, combat, and missions of various kinds, this place was mind-blowing. Even Loki hadn’t quite remembered just how brilliant and dramatic the colors here were. The two suns shone brightly on a meadow of purple grass and there were bushes and trees with leaves of blue and yellow. The foothills in the distance had a reddish color that Loki knew was from the red vines that grew the black grapes for Vanaheim’s most popular wines. He could smell the rich, sweet scent of honey from the hives that were cultivated for mead and sugar.

“This is where I used to come to think and to explore when I needed to be alone, or even occasionally with other people. It’s been a hundred years or so, but it doesn’t look like it’s changed very much. It’s as beautiful as I remember.”

He led the way, walking a cleanly-made hard road made of packed pebbles until the tops of a few buildings showed over the trees.

“If this is where we’d come after we wiped out HYDRA, I would not have complained,” Bucky remarked, eyes still wide with wonder.

They soon came upon a town that looked like some of the places he and Steve had read about in science fiction magazines all those years ago. It could have been a medieval European city with spires and shingle roofs and people on foot and horseback, but clean and with modern technology.Nearly every roof had a solar panel. They strolled down Main Street, gathering a few stares and questioning looks, but no one seemed alarmed.

“They’re accustomed to occasional off-world tourists, but they likely haven’t seen an Asgardian in quite awhile. I don’t really want to be a center of attention, so let’s find some more appropriate clothing.”

They walked past an open-air fish market right next to a kiosk selling little glass devices that seemed to be powered by bioluminescent algae. Bucky was fascinated.

“What are these?” he asked the vendor, then realized no one here spoke English.

“They are personal communication devices so one can speak with one’s friends over long distances,” the vendor replied in perfect English.

“Oh. Like a phone. How do you know my language?” Bucky asked, startled.

“Why, magic, of course,” he responded, surprised by the question, and Loki explained.

“Perhaps I should have mentioned that magic is quite common on Vanaheim. Yggdrasil’s branches are strong here. Powerful mages are rare, but most people possess smaller, useful spells that have been around for centuries. Merchants often use magic to help them in their businesses.”

“Um, yeah, you might have wanted to mention that,” James said, nodding at the vendor before continuing down the street.

“Ah, here we are,” Loki commented and waved them into a storefront that had clothing on display in the window.

There were only a few basic styles, but an assortment of fabrics and leathers. Steve and James wandered around, touching and holding things up, but no one stepped forward to offer them assistance.

“Typically, you pick out the style and fabric you like, then the tailor in the back of the store will fit it for you in whatever color you like.”

“Huh. Are we going to be here long enough to get tailored suits or whatever? That seems like a stretch,” said James.

“No, but you’ll see. Just pick out what you like. If I may make a suggestion, these will serve double-purpose. They’re fashionable as well as practical for the activities I have in mind,” he smiled and held up a pair of soft, supple leather pants with the Asgardian-style laced fly and a shiny, smooth texture.

“Probably Enhir. A sort of Elk that’s commonly hunted for food and hide. It’s very soft. I’d recommend black for you, James, and cinnamon for you, Steve. Cinnamon exists here as both a spice and a color.”

“Okay, sure, but there’s only a few pair here, and they’re all grey. In fact, everything’s grey.”

“Nothing to worry about,” Loki said as he folded three pair over his arm.

“Now shirts.”

He selected three of the same basic style of folded tunic that seemed to be popular on Asgard, too, as far as Steve could tell, since that’s what a lot of Loki’s looked like. No buttons, just one layer folded over another at the front with two long laces to tie it shut. Again, all very soft, but more of a textured suede to complement the smooth pants.

Loki led the way to the back of the store, where they were greeted by a friendly, chunky man with grey hair.

“Morning, lads. I see you’ve made your choices. Step right this way.”

Loki stepped up onto a raised platform and motioned with his left index finger. His jeans and shirt appeared in a pile on the floor, and he was wearing the grey tunic and pants, which were baggy and loose, like a boy trying on his father’s clothes. Steve and Bucky exchanged glances and nearly doubled over laughing, but Loki ignored them.

“Forest, please, and fitted. Three-quarter sleeve for me,” said Loki, and the tailor mumbled something under his breath, stepped up to face Loki, then drew an imaginary rectangle around him with his index fingers.

As Steve and James watched, the clothing changed color and shrank to fit, with the tailor making little pinching and tugging motions in the air here and there.

“Your legs are quite long,” he fussed, making little stretching motions with his hands.

In less than five minutes, Loki was dressed in tunic and pants in a deep, forest green. The pants rode low on his hips, snug and emphasizing his ass and legs, while the fitted tunic was cut to just below the waist. When he raised his arms, a strip of skin showed between the two pieces.

“Wow. You look good,” Steve said, unconsciously licking his upper lip.

“You look like Robin Hood,” Bucky snorted.

“Who?” asked Loki, confused.

“A character from Earth mythology. It’s a compliment. Don’t let him mess with your head,” Steve told him.

Loki stepped down off the fitting platform and motioned James up. He stepped up and the tailor stood facing him, waiting.

“What are we waiting for?” James asked, after an awkward minute.

“For you to take your clothes off. Modesty isn’t really a big thing here, especially while being fitted for clothing. As you can see, there are no changing rooms,” he responded mildly.

“Can’t you magic my clothes off and put the new ones on like you did for yourself?”

“I can, but I won’t,” Loki grinned, and James narrowed his eyes at him.

“Oh, for Pete’s sake, Buck, just take your clothes off,” Steve ordered, rolling his eyes.

“Fine.”

Bucky removed his shirt first, and the tailor was obviously fascinated with his arm, but his professional demeanor didn’t slip.

“Does this metal expand or contract? I might need to do some extra-custom work, if so.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s just an arm, but let’s do sleeveless. I could do worse than looking like Hawkeye,” Bucky grumbled, as he pulled off his jeans.

As was often the case, he wasn’t wearing underwear, and he turned to face Loki, spreading his hands in front of him.

“Happy now?”

“Very,” Loki answered. Steve just kept his mouth shut and smiled.

The process continued, finishing with James dressed in all black, and Steve wolf-whistled at him.

“Nice. Those pants make your butt look good.”

“You mean my butt makes these pants look good,” Bucky retorted.

When it was Steve’s turn, he grinned smugly at Bucky as he took off his jeans, revealing a set of red boxer briefs, and Loki laughed out loud.

When Steve was finished, he was encased in a rich, dark, reddish-brown short-sleeved tunic and leather pants that were so form-fitting, the lines from his boxers showed.

“That won’t do at all,” Loki tsked, and in a split-second, Steve’s underpants were wadded up in his fist.

“Hey!” Steve squawked.

“That’s better. They’ll be here if you need them later,” Loki said, tucking the underwear into his magic pocket.

“By Njord, you gentlemen all make my clothes look good. Here, take a few of my buttons. Hansen is my name,” commented the tailor, dropping a few raisin-sized round tokens into Loki’s palm.

Bucky took one and placed it in the palm of his hand, wondering what it was.

“Squeeze it,” suggested Loki.

As soon as he did, a small, talking hologram of the tailor appeared, touting the benefits and superior quality of his merchandise, and Bucky grinned.

When Loki pressed a gold coin into Hansen’s palm, the man shook his head.

“I’m sorry, but I cannot make change for that.”

“No need,” said Loki, leading the way out the door, leaving the man to stare open-mouthed.

“Thank you, sir! I may close early today.”

Steve smirked at Loki and poked Bucky in the ribs with an elbow.

“Now who’s the Sugar Daddy tossing money around?”

Bucky laughed, slapping Steve on the back, and Loki smiled.

“Where to now, Big Daddy, since we’re all pimped out?”

“I’m not certain what that means, but I assure you, this is fairly standard apparel here. Maybe a bit higher quality.”

“I would expect nothing less,” Steve replied.

*****

The Dragon’s Breath was the perfect dive bar, as far as Bucky was concerned, and it reminded him of the many evenings he and Steve had spent in taverns like this, pre-Winter Soldier. The rest of the Howling Commandos would flirt with the girls while he and Steve just talked to each other. There was the smell of delicious food, a nice selection of booze, sawdust on the floor, people talking and laughing, and what appeared to be a serious game of darts going on in a corner. Apparently, throwing pointy things at targets was a universal pastime.

“I’m pretty hungry. Would you mind ordering us up some food while I check out the game, Big Daddy?” Bucky asked, fluttering his eyelashes and heading toward the group of people gathered in the corner.

“Here we go,” muttered Steve, and Loki sighed.

“Surely, he’s not going to challenge someone to a fight.”

“No, but he does think he’s God’s gift to Bar Darts. I can’t tell you how many fights he’s gotten into that he doesn’t actually pick. He just pisses people off enough that they pick them.”

Loki stepped up to the bar to order food and drinks, and while he was waiting, a busty blonde woman sat down in his chair next to Steve. He was amused at first, watching to see what Steve would do, but that turned to possessive irritation when she slipped a hand down the inside of his thigh.

He tried to ignore it, turning his attention back to the bar, but even that was impossible. A brunette in a leather corset rubbed against him, then looked up in feigned surprise.

“Oh! My, you’re a tall one. I’ve never seen you in here before. Can I buy you a drink?”

Loki considered for a moment, then pointed at James.

“I think my friend over there needs a drink a lot more than I do. The one with the metal arm. And, he really likes a cheering section while he's playing.”

He smiled innocently as she looked him up and down, then studied James for a moment.

“All right, but I’ll be back.”

She was obviously a regular here, and she only had to wave at the bartender before he stepped over.

“What’ll it be, Princess?”

“Two of the usual for me and whatever this man wants, put it on my bill.”

She shot Loki a coy glance as she walked away with two drinks in hand and the bartender leaned in to Loki conspiratorially.

“She’s not really a Princess. That’s her nickname because she’s convinced she’s related to someone in the royal family and she has a lot of money. A lot for around here, anyway. She likes you. You could do worse,” he winked.

“You don’t say? Thanks for the information. And, don’t put my order on her bill. This should cover anything we need at that table,” he said, sliding a gold coin across the bar.

“Yes, sir. Anything you say, sir,” the bartender gushed, his eyes widening.

Loki made his way back to the table and stood at the blonde woman’s shoulder. She was chattering animatedly and Steve had barely said a word. He’d removed her hand from his thigh once, and she put it back just as Loki arrived.

“Perhaps you should buy him a drink,” Loki suggested, and she looked up, startled. She’d been so intent on Steve that she’d barely noticed Loki.

“Oh, that’s a good idea. Why didn’t I think of that? I’ll be right back.”

She smiled at Steve and hurried over to the bar as Loki slid smoothly back into his chair.

“Did you just do a spell or something to manipulate her?” Steve asked, suspicious.

“That wounds me, Steve. As if I’d need magic to manipulate her. All right, this should be interesting. I just told that brunette to buy James a drink.”

“Oh, great. You know he’s gonna flirt with her, then leave her all confused. Why do you like to throw women at him? I thought you didn’t want him fighting tonight.”

Loki shrugged.

“Because I like to watch him. I find it rather arousing. But, I’m also interested in how you’re handling things.”

“Depends. Does ‘buy you a drink’ have some deeper meaning here, like code for ‘have sex with me’?”

“No more so here than anywhere else, to my knowledge, but here it’s just as common for women to offer. Although I’m certain ‘have sex with me’ is exactly what this one means. I don’t mind telling you it crossed my mind to slide a dagger between her ribs when she caressed your inner thigh,” Loki smiled benignly.

“Wow. That’s a little disturbing and arousing at the same time,” Steve said, just before a loud cheer erupted from the darts area and Bucky pumped a fist in the air.

The brunette put an arm around his neck and he lifted her up, spinning her around in a circle. When he set her down, she pulled him into a kiss before he knew what was happening, and then he realized Loki had set him up. 

“Okay, okay...that’s enough. My boyfriend is the jealous type, and he's got a hair trigger,” he whispered in her ear.

“Your _boyfriend_? Who’s that?”

Bucky pointed at the table.

“Both of them, but the one with the black hair is the really jealous one.”

“ _Him_? Nooo...” she sighed dejectedly and walked away.

She passed by the table and shot Loki a look that said she wanted him dead, and he glanced up at her casually.

“I didn’t put my order on your bill, if that makes you feel any better.”

At the same time, the blonde returned with Steve’s drink. She sat down across from him, eyes darting between him and Loki.

“I’m so confused,” she said, as Bucky sat down on the other side of Steve, and the brunette overheard her.

“Let me help you out, here, sister mine. The three best-looking men to set foot in here in the past five years are not interested in women.”

The noise level in the room dropped significantly as the blonde stared at Steve and blinked several times.

“Is that true?”

Steve’s face was a little flushed from the mead. It wasn’t as potent as the Asgardian Ale, but it loosened him up enough he didn’t really care what anyone thought. He slung an arm around Loki’s shoulder and kissed him on the lips, then did the same with Bucky.

“That is true.”

“May we eat our dinner in peace, now?” asked Loki, taking a long pull of his mead while scanning the bar. No one responded.

“Thank you.”

A plaintive male voice came from the back of the darts corner.

“Five years? Really, Princess? That’s very hurtful.”

*****

After that, they were left alone for the most part, except for the extraordinarily attentive bartender, and the noise level crept back up to normal.

“So, I assume you would have warned us if same-sex relationships were a serious issue here, right?” Steve asked.

Loki shrugged and made a “so-so” gesture with his hand.

“Not formally an issue, but people will gossip. I wouldn’t worry about any sort of retaliation, though. This is not Asgard’s warrior culture, where the slightest provocation can easily become a fight. They’ll leave us alone now and we can enjoy what we came for—some rest and relaxation.”

“Oh, I don’t know...I’m enjoying this. All of it,” James gestured around the room and smiled.

“It has been awhile since we’ve hung out in a bar. Kind of nostalgic,” Steve added appreciatively.

They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, and James waited until a new round of drinks appeared before saying anything more.

“You know, we still have never really talked very much about what happened on Knowhere. I don’t expect you to get into it here and now, but at some point, I think it would be good to unload that. Just my opinion,“ James commented, seemingly out of the blue, drumming his metal fingers against the goblet of wine.

“Geez, Buck, you really have a knack for bringing up awkward topics at weird times,” said Steve, shaking his head.

“Yeah, it’s a gift. I just know how badly shit can get to you, if you try to keep it all bottled up like you do, Loki.”

“I prefer to think of it as being good at compartmentalizing, but I’ll take it under consideration.”

They finished their meal, ordered a few bottles of mead to take with them, and left the bar just before dusk because Loki wanted to watch the sunset. They walked leisurely up the main street as the two yellow suns dipped down to the horizon.

“Where are we going, by the way? Not that it really matters,” Steve asked.

“To watch the most spectacular sunset you’ve ever seen and sleep under the stars. Didn’t you mention wanting to do that?”

“Yeah. It’s one of the things I thought about on that run. It was the Sonora Desert, but I was obviously thinking too small.”

They’d walked for about fifteen minutes when Loki called a halt and led them off the road to sit on some rocks and watch the sunset. It was spectacular. The double sunset transformed the whole landscape into a mix of fiery pinks and blues and yellows, and lit up the surface of the little lake nearby with sparkling reflections. The sounds of birds and insects weren’t very different from Earth, but as soon as the suns disappeared, there was a sound neither Steve nor Bucky had ever heard. A low, plaintive, haunting note that lasted for nearly a minute.

“That sounds like a didgeridoo. What is it?” asked Steve.

“That’s the howl of a Northern Dire Wolf. They’re pretty common in this area, since there’s a lot of game. Had to fight one, once, when I was here in winter. They can be formidable.”

“You fought a Dire Wolf. See, that’s the kind of stuff about your life I was talking about. That’s something most men would’ve mentioned fairly early on,” Steve remarked.

“The time I fought a dragon and was nearly eaten is a lot more interesting, though. I thought you heard that one at Pepper’s party.”

“Only the last little bit. Let’s hear it.”

Loki told the entire story, adding 3-D illusions to help illustrate and even doing a fair job of mimicking the dragon’s roar.

“Wow. That kind of dwarfs my story about having to fight bears in Russia,” Bucky commented, taking a gulp of his mead.

“I’ve had a lot more years to accumulate stories than you have. Besides, you’ve both fought actual Nazis, which sounds much more terrifying. Let’s hear your bear story.”

“Okay, but then Steve has to tell the one about how Mrs. Finnegan’s rooster cornered him when we were kids,” Bucky laughed.


	3. Chapter 3

It was well after dusk by the time Steve finished his chicken story, but the light from the double moons was more than enough to set up a camp of sorts. No tent, just thick bedrolls so they could see the sky, and they moved some boulders close to the fire to make a backrest. In a nod to luxury, Loki had brought half-a-dozen thick, fluffy pillows, too.

Then, they’d spent a few minutes chopping down a couple of dead trees. Or, Loki spent a few minutes watching Steve and James chop down trees and split logs, to be exact. They’d taken off their shirts, of course, and the moonlight played perfectly on their muscles.

“I could watch you do that for hours,” he said appreciatively, laying back and sipping his mead.

While they toweled off, Loki waved a hand lazily and several of the split logs flew into a neat stack and caught fire. They were staring into the flames as they leaned back against the boulders.

“The most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen, a camp fire that’s always the perfect temperature, a good meal, and some weird, but tasty, local drink. I’m really glad we came here. So far, it’s exceeded every expectation I had. Even the clothing store and the bar were fun,” said Steve, happy and relaxed.

He stretched out, laying his head on a pillow in Bucky’s lap and draping his legs across Loki’s thighs, entranced by the two moons lighting up the sky.

“We used to read those pulpy paperback magazines when we were kids. Those old science fiction and fantasy ones, remember, Buck?”

“Yeah. _Amazing Stories_ was my favorite. We’d wait for it to arrive every month and pool our money to buy it, then go to the soda fountain and read to each other. All about aliens riding dragons into battle and worlds with two suns. Not so far from the truth, huh?” he asked waving at the sky with his coffee mug.

“I know you were poor and your childhoods were difficult, but I envy you that. Reading too much was considered something of a flaw for Asgardian men. It was mostly about being physical,” Loki said wistfully.

“Oh, yeah...speaking of being physical...” Bucky grinned wickedly.

His right hand had been absently playing with the hair on Steve’s chest, and when he pulled out his phone, Loki arched an eyebrow and laughed.

“You brought your phone to Vanaheim. You do understand there’s no cell service here, or did Korg damage your brain, too?”

“Don’t need service. Just thought it would be a good time to show you this.”

He gave Steve an evil wink as he tapped the screen a few times and handed Loki his phone.

“Oh, God, Buck. Are you really gonna show him that right now?”

Bucky could almost see Steve’s face flush pink in the firelight, and his response was to kiss him while running his fingers up and down his belly and chest. He lingered on the hair below Steve’s navel, fluffing it softly where it disappeared under his laced fly.

“We made you a sex tape when we were hunting for Steve’s killers.”

Loki cocked his head at James questioningly and touched the Play icon. He silently watched Steve and James as they masturbated for each other from their respective motels when they were searching for the HYDRA base. When they were busy not giving up on him—not forgetting him as he’d told them to. He alternated between biting his lower lip, adjusting his pants, and looking like he was about to shed tears when Steve spoke to him through the camera.

“ _Loki, this is what’s waiting for you. I want you home.”_

He rewound and listened to that twice more.

“ _I want you home.”_

He watched the rest and then abruptly pushed Steve’s legs off his lap.

“What’s wrong? You didn’t like it?” Steve asked, mildly startled.

“Nothing’s wrong. I’m going to give you what you wished for. You know I can’t resist you when you touch yourself like that. And, James telling you what to do is making me want it even more.”

He leaned over and pulled James in for a kiss with a hand on the back of his neck, their lips meeting over Steve’s face. It was a long, slow, passionate kiss that made his dick push up into the soft leather pants, and he moaned softly.

Bucky shifted so Steve’s head was cradled between his leather-clad thighs as Loki unlaced the pants, then cupped his balls and hardening dick with his palm through the leather.

“Just relax and let Loki do what he wants. I’ve been thinking about this since we shot that video. God, the way you talked to him—it makes me hard just thinking about it,” Bucky whispered, carding his metal fingers through Steve’s hair. 

Slowly, Loki removed the laces completely and opened the overlapping leather flaps, exposing the underside of Steve’s cock as it curved up into his abdomen. He licked slow, languid stripes up the big vein and flicked his tongue around the head, which was already starting to flush dark pink. When Steve’s hand reached for Loki’s hair, Bucky jerked it back and held him by both biceps.

“Nope. You just lay back and don’t block my view.”

Loki’s eyes raised to meet James’, and James winked at him. Loki’s hands slid the soft leather down around Steve’s upper thighs to allow his entire erection to jut upward, leaking drops of moisture that Loki licked off the slit. He sucked half the length into his mouth, in and out three times, then pulled away. He wrappeda hand around it and waited until enough moisture formed on the tip again to wet his index and middle fingers and touched them to his lips, pink tongue licking them clean.

“God, I love to watch you, Loki. You’re every bit as much of a camera whore as Buck is.”

“And, I love the taste of you. I never tire of it.”

Steve’s eyes fixed on Loki as he rose up on his knees to let James untie his tunic and slide it off, leaning back slightly to let the light and shadows play on his skin as his hand spread out over his chest and slowly slid down.

“More?” Loki asked, eyes half-lidded and voice rough, and Steve nodded.

He tilted his head back and shook his hair out, then pulled it back with one hand, holding a loose handful at the back of his head. His skin shone silver and translucent, while the other hand slowly traced down his center line to cradle his own hard cock and balls under the leather. Steve’s hips pushed up into air and he groaned in frustration.

“ _Oh...fuck...suck it_.”

Loki reached out for James again and kissed him as Steve squirmed below them, then dropped down to put his lips on Steve’s ear.

“ _Yes, my Captain._ I want to suck it. I want to taste you. Swallow you. But, I think you only get to feel it this time, not watch, don’t you agree, James?”

Of course, he was tormenting Steve, and Bucky was loving it. He took the cue and folded Loki’s tunic into a blindfold, then slipped it over Steve’s eyes and tied it behind his head.

“You evil bastards. You’re really not gonna let me watch?”

The answer to that was made very clear to him as Loki nipped his way down the trail of golden hair to the base of his cock, and sucked both balls into his mouth. Steve gasped and stuttered a breath, muscles tensing as he tried not to move. Loki played with them, rolling them with his tongue until Steve couldn’t hold still any longer, but he still hadn’t touched Steve’s cock again.

“He looks delicious like this, doesn’t he, James? Not quite able to get what he wants, but so beautiful in the wanting.”

He locked eyes with James, the bulge in his own pants getting harder. He and James kissed deeply, both moaning softly as Steve listened. 

Suddenly, Steve’s pants disappeared and Loki raked his fingertips down the insides of his thighs, pushing them apart. He lay down on his belly and settled between them, the skin of his shoulders warmed by the hot thighs against them. When a slick finger slid down Steve’s perineum and then inside him, his hips jerked up off the bedroll. He twitched every time that skilled finger rubbed across his prostate, sending little jolts of electricity straight to his dick. Loki breathed across it, lips barely brushing against it, but he still hadn’t touched it again and Steve was getting desperate. 

The tip of Loki’s tongue circled softly around the slit, barely touching it, gathering drops of pre-cum, then softly licked Steve’s lips.

_“Fuck...Loki...”_

“Perhaps you can come just from this?” Loki asked casually, as his other index finger moved rhythmically across his prostate.

Steve tensed and sweat beaded on his forehead, but he took a deep breath and got himself under control.

“I can, but I don’t _want_ to come just from that. I want to feel your lips around my cock. I want you to suck it and I want to come in your mouth, even if I can’t see it.”

“I know, my Captain. But, I love to hear those dirty words from you and I just had to hear you say it again.”

In one quick move, Loki sucked him down, deep-throating him as he continued to work on Steve’s prostate, and Steve nearly screamed, thrusting up into that hot, tight throat.

_“Oh...oh...fuck...Loki...”_

And he spurted cum so hard and deep, Loki barely had time to pull back enough to even taste it.

Bucky slid the blindfold off and kissed Steve while he was still riding the last wave of pleasure, then stroked his hair while he caught his breath.

“I don’t know about you, but that was fucking amazing for me,” Bucky laughed against Steve’s lips.

“I would’ve been happy with a plain old blow job, but yeah.”

Loki and James locked eyes, both of them licking their lips as they came together next to Steve, and the heat radiating from them was palpable. The rest of their clothes vanished, James smiled wickedly at Loki, and his voice was deep and raspy.

“You know what I want.”

_“Oh, yes_...yes I do, James, and I intend to give it to you.”

Loki shoved him backwards until he was flat on his back and James pulled him down hard by the back of the neck, metal fingers digging into his skin.

“ _Fuck me.”_

Loki leaned back and took hold of his own cock, stroking up and down the shaft until it was coated with lube. James moaned and grabbed it, lifting his hips to position it so Loki could push in.

_“Fuck me right now.”_

With one quick snap of his hips, Loki drove deep and James’ back arched.

“ _Ah...oh, Jesus...yes...”_

His legs wrapped around Loki’s rib cage and held him like a vise as he pounded in and out, and Loki’s eyes closed. Those legs were constricting his breathing a little, they were so tight around him. He was dripping sweat from the physical effort, his breath was fast and ragged, and James’ fingers dug into his arms hard enough to hurt.

It was ecstasy.

Steve’s hand snaked in between them and wrapped around Bucky’s cock, pumping up and down the shaft, Loki’s sweat dripping onto his fist.

They came at nearly the same time, moaning and swearing and laughing.

“Oh, my fucking God, Loki...that was amazing,” James panted out.

“Not nearly as amazing as you, James,” he responded, after a few shallow breaths.

They lay there a few minutes listening to each other breathe, then Loki popped to his feet.

“Come on. There’s something I want to show you, now that we’re a few hours into night.”

“Right this second?” Bucky asked, but he knew the answer to that question when Loki turned and motioned with his hand.

Steve and Bucky started to pull their clothes back on and Loki shook his head.

“No clothes. Just follow me.”

He led the way to the lake and waded in waist-deep, flashes of light circling him and darting past him in a profusion of colors in the water. The entire lake seemed to be lighted from underneath, as if a multi-colored flashlight was flickering off and on under an aquarium.

“You know how to swim. Why the hesitation?”

“Yeah, I can swim just fine, but not all of us are half Frost Giant. This water is freezing. I like hot tubs, not ice baths, especially right after some great sex,” Bucky complained.

“Oh, don’t be such a baby,” Steve laughed and jumped in, splashing cold water all over him.

“Damn, Loki. It is really cold,” Steve exclaimed, arms crossed around his chest.

Loki swam out about thirty meters and disappeared with a graceful dive straight down. Steve and Bucky both huffed loudly and followed him.

“This better be worth it,” Bucky grumbled, as he dove down near the spot Loki had been.

At about ten feet under the surface, they saw what Loki had brought them here to see—a fantastical array of bioluminescent fish and algae. The algae glowed bright green in scattered patches along the bottom and sides of the lake, flashing blue and silver fish darted back and forth, and bright pink squid-like creatures chased the fish. Loki reached out to one and it darted to the surface, breaking the surface in a blurry arc that sparkled in the moonlight.

They could all hold their breaths for minutes at a time, and they stayed down, back-to-back, just watching the light show until Bucky swam to the surface, shivering. Steve and Loki followed a minute later, panting from the cold and from holding their breaths so long.

“That was unbelievable. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Steve said, teeth chattering.

“Me, neither, but can we get warm, now?” asked Bucky.

“Of course. This is the best part,” he said, waving a hand towards the water, and a small, fluorescent green half-bubble formed in the water around them like a glass aquarium. It looked like the protective bubble Loki had used to cover the crowd at LokiCon.

Almost immediately, it began to warm, until the water inside the bubble was hot enough that steam clouded into the air. It was like a hot spring, and they lay there, arms draped over the bubble’s edge, while the brightly colored fish flashed by underneath and around them.

“That’s more like it,” James pronounced, relaxing back enough to be able to see both water and sky, and flinched just a little when ice-cold water sloshed over the edge onto his chest.

“It is pretty sweet, having a magic boyfriend. We should probably keep him,” Steve smiled.

*****

They walked into town the next morning looking for a place to eat breakfast and it seemed they attracted more attention than they had yesterday. Bucky recognized a couple of men from the Dragon’s Breath, and they nodded in greeting. One woman flashed Steve a bright smile and waved, and he wondered what was going on, but Loki didn’t seem concerned, so he let it go.

They ate breakfast in a quiet little place that would, in America, be considered a diner, and when Loki tried to pay with a gold coin, the server shook his head and smiled.

“No need, sir. Your account has been paid,” and he subtly tilted his head toward the two women at the other end of the rows of tables.

It was Princess and her sister. Loki groaned inwardly, but acknowledged them with a tilt of his head.

“You know what’s happening here, right? Some women think they can fuck you straight. That you just haven’t had the right woman yet,” Bucky observed with a wry smile.

“Yeah, well...Peggy was the closest I ever came to that when I thought you were gone. If I hadn’t gone into the ice, there’s a good chance I would’ve ended up with her. But, after you came back, I doubt any woman could ever tempt me enough,” Stevesaid thoughtfully.

“It’s not about sex or gender for me. It’s about the person. At the risk of sounding trite, I can truly say no one could ever come close now, compared to you and James. But, the muscles and the metal arm certainly don’t hurt. What’s the expression—eye candy?” Loki said with a wink. Cassandra had called him that once and she’d had to explain it to him.

“Okay. On that note, let’s get out of here. I saw a place yesterday that I’ve been thinking about. Come on,” Steve said mysteriously as he slid out of the seat.

Princess watched them leave, eyes never leaving Loki until he was out the door, but she didn’t say a word.

Steve led them down Main Street, then turned a corner to the place he’d spotted yesterday. He couldn’t read the sign, but he knew exactly what this place was. He remembered from history that this was common enough for Vikings and the Vanir were the same stock as Asgardians.

“A tattoo parlor?” asked Bucky, his interest piqued, and Loki cocked his head sideways in curiosity.

“What do you think? I have a design I’ve been working on for awhile and I think right here and now would be perfect. It’s in my sketch pad in your pocket.”

“Hm. I’d never really considered one, but I suppose this could be a first,” he replied.

“But, how do we get them to stay? Won’t we all heal and they’ll just fade?” asked James.

“I’m sure Loki can make it happen magically. Right? That’s what I was counting on, anyway.”

“Yes, but I may not need to. The tattoo artist probably has his own magic to keep it crisp and permanent.”

Loki produced Steve’s sketchbook from his pocket dimension, handed it to him, and watched while he thumbed through the pages until he found the design. He couldn’t help but notice how many drawings Steve had of James and him and wondered when he’d done them all.

Steve held up the design and realized he was holding his breath, hoping they’d love it as much as he did. 

“Wow, Steve. I’m really...front and center here,” Bucky exclaimed, sounding a little doubtful.

“Yeah, you are, and there’s a reason for that. You’re what brought us together. If it weren’t for you, there would never have been a Loki and me.”

“He’s right, James. Not to mention you’re wearing my collar, which is a perfect depiction of our relationship,” Loki grinned.

“Ha. You wish, you arrogant fuck,” James said, laughing, as he kissed Loki. 

“I guess this is my way of saying I’m committed to this—to both of you,” Steve said.

“Then, let’s do this,” said Bucky, as he cracked his neck and Loki nodded.

They filed through the door and Steve explained what he wanted, showing his work to the tattooist, who smiled approvingly.

“Yes, of course, I can do this and I can spell it to last, even long enough for a god,” he said, nodding at Loki.

“You know who I am?”

“Someone recognized you and word gets around. I was sorry to hear about Asgard.”

“Thank you. And, these two men have the same healing abilities as I do, so they’ll need that spell, too.”

The artist ushered Steve to a chair first and got to work. Over the course of the day, even including a lunch break, he finished all three, chuckling at the exclamations of surprise about how much it stung. The rib cage was a particularly sensitive spot, and none of them had any excess fat between skin and bone.

It was late in the day when they finished and stood in front of the full-length mirror in the shop. With the magic used to set the images in the skin, no bandageor after-care was needed, and the colors popped.

“Wow. Fucking beautiful,” Bucky pronounced, turning at various angles.

“Yeah, I guess I’m pretty proud of the design. I’m glad you like it,” Steve said, and then turned to the tattoo artist.

“You’re the best. I’ve seen a lot of tattoos, and this is gorgeous work. If you moved to Earth, you’d be a wealthy man.”

Loki studied his for several minutes in the mirror, left arm crooked over the top of his head as he stared at the image covering his side and ribs.

“A thousand years with nothing but scars to mark me, and now this. I suppose there’s no turning back from this relationship now, is there?” he asked, voice husky and deep with emotion.

“I sure hope not,” Steve replied, touching his forehead to Loki’s, and Bucky did the same.

*****

Rather than celebrate their new ink in town, they elected a more intimate setting around the campfire. After dinner, Loki stared thoughtfully at both of them for a minute, an idea coming to him as he traced a finger around the outline of the wolf on James’ skin.

“How would you like to run as wolves tonight?” 

“What do you mean? Run around naked and howl at the moon? Sorry—moons?” Steve asked. 

“I think he means he can shape-shift us into actual wolves, Steve. God, I hope that’s what you mean, Loki. Can you really do that?”

“Here I can. Vanir itself is rich with magic and Yggdrasil’s power is stronger in me here than in any other realm. To see this place as a wolf sees it is beyond anything you’ve ever imagined.”

“You’ve done it before?” Steve asked.

“Alone, yes. Perhaps I should’ve mentioned that the time I fought a wolf I was also a wolf,” and Steve shook his head, laughing. 

James was beside himself with excitement, nearly quivering in anticipation.

“What are you waiting for, then? Can you make me white?”

“You’ll have the body of a Northern Dire Wolf. Your mind will be yours, but the longer you’re in a wolf’s body, the more you’ll become...wolf...in mind as well. The wolf essence, if you will, is strong. We could safely go most of the night, but I think a couple of hours will be enough for you to get the whole experience.”

“What about my arm? How does that work?” Bucky asked.

“It’ll shift, too, to fit you. And, yes, I can make you white,” he laughed.

“I can be a white wolf with a Wakanda arm? Do it.”

“All right. We stay in line of sight or hearing. We won’t be able to talk, so if you want to be human again, give three short yips and I’ll shift us back.”

“Okay...I guess I can’t turn down an opportunity like this. Do it,” Steve said, and Loki snapped his fingers dramatically in front of their faces.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Bucky_ **

_Holy shit, look at me! I’m a wolf. Paws, fur, and...a metal leg. Damn, that looks amazing, all shiny like that. I bet I look like Robo-Wolf. And the colors, the sounds. So many colors. I thought canines were colorblind. And, I’m so big. Where’s my tail? Ah, there it is. Hey, that’s downright sexy, all white and bushy. God, Steve looks so damn impressive. Look at those muscles. I think I’d know Steve-Wolf anywhere. Loki looks more like a panther in a dog suit, though, all lean and stealthy. I think I’d know him, too. God, is it weird that I’m sexually attracted to wolves? Of course, it’s weird, but Loki and weird just kind of go hand-in-hand. I need a mirror. Steve has a mirror in his pack, but I don’t have thumbs, so I guess the lake will have to do._

**_Steve_ **

_Wow, this feels so strange, but kind of natural, too. I can barely keep my tongue in my mouth and my nose is so long, I can see the end of it. I have red fur. Wait—what the hell was_ that _? Oh. My tail. I guess it wags independent of me. Good to know. Speaking of tail, my butt is so round and my legs are so big! Everything is so bright and I can smell—everything. Look at Buck’s arm. It’s so shiny. And, Loki’s just sitting there watching us, all regal-like. I bet he’s laughing. Do wolves laugh? And, he’s black, of course. How did I know that was gonna happen? Can I roll my eyes as a wolf? Oh—Bucky’s leaving. Guess I better follow him and keep him out of trouble. Oh, good, Loki’s coming, too_.

**_Loki_ **

_Perhaps I should’ve told them there’s a period of adjustment to having the wolf-mind so close and how it can affect the thought patterns. Ah, and also that it may take a few minutes to $regain their human voices after shifting back. Oh, no matter. They’re smart. They’ll figure it out. Gods, look at them. Just as handsome as wolves as they are as humans. I think I’m smiling. I felt my lips pull back a bit. I wonder if they can tell. Well, Steve’s tail is wagging, so perhaps he can tell. Oh, dear, there goes James running off towards the lake and Steve’s following him. I suppose I should keep an eye on them._

Three wolves—one black, one white, one a deep, rich red—all staring at their reflections in the water, tails wagging. They lick each other’s faces and run circles around one another, then plunge into the water, their thick coats insulating them from the icy cold. Just as suddenly, they come bounding out of the lake and shake until they’re nearly dry, sending jets of water ten feet into the air. 

They trot to the campfire and finish drying themselves for a few minutes, watching the suns set. When the twin suns both dip halfway down the horizon and their rays splash colors everywhere, the black wolf suddenly nips the other two on their rumps and takes off running. The two are in hot pursuit and he leads them through the woods and up into the foothills, the pink and purple rays turning the countryside to bright, blazing, surreal colors.

For nearly an hour they run, stopping occasionally to sniff the air and nose through the underbrush, distracted by unfamiliar scents. An occasional deer-like creature catches wind of them and bounds away in long, graceful leaps, but they have no desire to give chase. Even though the wolf-mind is interested, they have just eaten and aren’t tempted.

The black wolf and the red one are particularly engrossed in digging down to find some hidden treasure they’ve smelled, and the white one quietly slinks out of their sight. He tries repeatedly to climb a wide tree trunk, but is unsuccessful. His wolf body just isn’t made for climbing and his metal paw can’t grip the bark. So, he takes a running start and hits a large boulder, then a low branch, and success! He’s balancing on a fat tree branch about fifteen feet off the ground.

He gives one loud yip and waits. As soon as they hear him, the other two come looking for him, rustling around on the forest floor and stopping to gaze and listen every few steps. When they’re both within reach, he leaps, landing on top of both of them. Startled yipes come from below him as he rolls them sideways, and the race is on. He leads them on a chase through the woods until they come to a clearing and stop in their tracks.

In the clearing is a group of huge, Elk-like creatures who stand twice as tall as they do at the shoulder. When the Elk catch wind of them, they turn as a group and begin to paw the ground, their nostrils flaring and making loud chuffing sounds. The black wolf yips once and bounds away, clearly not wanting any part of that, and they take off running again.

They run until the suns have long set and the silver beams of the two moons shine onto a clearing at the top of a jagged hill. The light from the two moons is so bright that the wolves cast sharp, black shadows, and they leap and bound around each other’s dark reflections on the ground, making little grunts of joy as their tails wag ceaselessly.

The black wolf moves to stand at the edge of a cliff and waits for the others to join him. As soon as they’re there, he begins to howl, and it’s a deep, clear, haunting sound that carries and echoes through the hills. The others howl, too, their throats producing slightly different pitches of sound, so it’s a harmony of musical notes that become a chaos of reverberations as they bounce through the rocky terrain.

Delighted by their own voices, they continue to sing into the night until the black one stops and retreats away from the edge, sitting on his haunches. The white wolf rubs his body against the black one until the black one’s head rubs against his, then sits quietly next to him.

The red one walks towards them and it seems as though he’ll sit, too, but then decides not to. He yips loudly and leaps ten feet straight up into the air, powerful leg muscles launching him higher than any normal wolf could go.He lands with an audible _whump_ on top of both the other two, bowling them all over into a flailing, yelping tangle of limbs—black, red, white, and metal—before he barks wildly and runs down the hill. He waits there, whirling in circles, tail wagging furiously, until the others trot down towards him, shaking the dirt out of their coats.

And, then, he catches a scent just a moment before the other two. A wild, musky, earthy smell that warms his blood and sends a tingling sensation through his body. He sniffs the air again and looks back to the black wolf for guidance. The black one crouches into a low, stealthy gait, ears flat, glowing green eyes focused on the woods where the trail into the trees breaks open in front of them. The other two freeze in place, nearly invisible in the shadows, waiting.

Warmth fills their bodies as the strong, musky scent fills their noses and their muscles quiver as they begin to pant, the wolf-minds reacting to the pheromones.

 _Males_.

Three other males, to be precise. All with dark mahogany coats, young and virile and strutting with confidence. This is their territory and they have no patience for challengers. They advance, each staring at the male across from them, bristling and growling, thin strands of saliva dripping from the corners of their mouths. The deep rumbling sounds from their throats grow louder as they approach with hackles stiff.

The others don’t react immediately, the white and red ones waiting for a cue from the the black one, who is still and silent. After a few moments, he growls menacingly and inches forward, every nerve and muscle taut and ready. He’s clearly sending the signal that they will not be intimidated.

They feel testosterone coursing through their veins as they take the cue, hackles up, teeth bared, advancing steadily alongside the black wolf. This is not their territory, but they are bigger and stronger and faster and they know it. They could take this territory easily if they wished. They have taken no prey and are no threat to the other pack, but neither will they back down. They have no desire to leave this part of the forest, yet, and will not be forced out.

One brown wolf makes a lightning-quick move on the red one. His jaws are powerful and might’ve broken the other’s neck if he’d connected, but they snap shut on air alone. The red wolf is so fast, he evades the other’s bite and his jaws close around the shaggy brown neck, throwing him to the ground and holding him there. He doesn’t draw blood, but he doesn’t let the other one up, either.

The other two make their attacks a split-second behind the first. One launches himself at the white one, but his fangs close on metal that doesn’t give or dent from the power of his bite. The metal foreleg shoves between his jaws and flings him ten feet to the side. He lands so hard, the breath is knocked out of him and he can’t move. All he can do is wait for death, but it doesn’t come. The white one is only standing over him, holding him in place with the metal paw.

The last one tries a different approach and stalks forward until he’s nearly nose-to-nose with the black one. Their hackles are straight up all along their spines and their lips twitch up to show massive canine teeth. Suddenly, they’re both up on their hind legs, snarling and snapping, going for each other’s throats, but the young wolf’s speed is no match for the black one’s. Before he can react, he’s pinned to the ground by his throat, too.

All three brown wolves whimper softly in surrender, and the others step away, allowing them to get to their feet. Salvaging what pride they can, they walk away with tails down instead of running, disappearing into the distance along the ridge just outside the tree line.

The other three circle around each other, sniffing and licking, but find no trace of blood, only a little saliva on the black one’s ruff. They rub up against each other and lick each other’s muzzles and ears, tails wagging. But, suddenly, there’s a new scent in the air and they all catch it at the same time. Powerful, exciting—musk and sex—and their pulses quicken, their muscles stiffen.

 _Females_.

This is most likely why the males were so aggressive—protecting their breeding rights with any females in their territory, and it’s obvious from their scents that these females are ready to mate.

Two new wolves appear at the trail head, smaller than the males, one a dark brown and the other golden, the color of a palomino horse. They move quietly, but confidently, drawing closer until the black wolf startles them by snarling and growling. His ears are pinned back, his hackles are up, and his teeth are bared. The two females stop in their tracks, still as statues.

The red wolf and the white one approach them, flanking them, circling around them, low rumbling growls echoing down the rocks. The females crouch low, licking the muzzles of the two males and making small, whimpering noises.

The golden female slowly, almost sensually, turns gracefully and slides her own side along the red one’s, rubbing her scent on his fur. She’s inching toward his tail and she’s barely aware of his lips twitching into a snarl. Her muzzle dips down between his rear legs and her tongue flicks to his balls. The second her tongue touches him, he whirls around and she’s pinned to the rocky ground by his jaws around her neck. He places one paw on her side and holds her there, the snarl having deepened into a low, rumbling growl. She makes an effort to get up and realizes she cannot match the strength of even that one foreleg, so she holds still and quiet, eyes wide in silent panic.

The dark brown female is undeterred as she continues licking the white wolf’s muzzle, then moves to his metal leg, flicking her tongue around it, tasting and sniffing. The white wolf lets her, his lips pull back almost into a smile, and he makes a low, snuffling sound as she rubs her face on his shoulder. Emboldened by the fact that he’s let her do this much, she bumps her tail and rear end against his face.

Before she even sees him move, the black wolf’s jaws are snapping closed on her cheek and the base of her left ear. She screams in pain and he releases her. She runs into the woods, glancing over her shoulder to see if the black one is following. He isn’t, but he’s crouching, ready to leap. She casts a panicked look over the other shoulder at the other female wolf, slowing down but not stopping, uncertain what to do.

The gold wolf’s eyes meet those of the red one’s pleadingly and he lifts his paw, allowing her to jump to her feet and run. The two females disappear together backinto the forest.

The white wolf looses one long, high-pitched howl towards the woods and sits down, watching and waiting. After a few minutes, they sniff the air and when the scent of the females has faded, they trot away, heading back towards camp.

But, the adrenaline and the testosterone and the pheromones still have them pumped up, panting, tongues lolling out and hearts racing as they pick up speed. They blaze through the woods faster and faster, until the trees are blurry slivers in the moonlight.

Suddenly, the red wolf bumps the black one’s side and then slows to a stop. He yips three times in quick succession and in an instant, the three wolves are back in human form. Sweat runs down their bare chests, their breaths coming fast and hard, pupils dilated.

Steve growls, grabbing Loki by the hair and yanks his head back, biting into the opalescent neck hard enough to draw blood, then shoves him backwards into a tree trunk. He hits so hard, pieces of bark fly out around him. Loki’s lips are parted, his eyes are black in the moonlight, and he reaches for James, pulling him in so their naked, gleaming bodies are pressed against each other. Their hardening cocks are growing in between them and Loki’s mouth locks roughly onto James’ as Steve steps up behind him.

He tries to speak, but the word comes out as only a harsh rumbling sound against Loki’s lips.

Steve shoves Bucky’s thighs apart almost brutally with a knee and his eyes meet Loki’s. Still not able to form words, he growls a command and Loki’s hands grip James’ firm, round ass-cheeks, squeezing them. Then, one of Loki’s hands slides down the front of James’ sweat-soaked torso and between his spread legs, past his cock and balls. The smell of James’ desire fills his nostrils and goes straight to his dick.

His finger pushes inside to make him slick, because there’s no mistaking what Steve wants, and by his dark expression, he will not be denied. Bucky groans, his eyes snap shut, and he arches his back into the sensation. He knows he’s about to get Steve like he’s never had him before, and his dick is so hard, it feels as though it’s made of the same metal as his arm.

His breath is hot and his muscles are quivering in anticipation as Loki’s lips lock on his. Steve is so hard he can feel his pulse in his cock as he slams all the way in with one quick movement, yanking Bucky onto him by the hips. The sight of his thick length sliding in and out stokes his desire even more, and he sinks deeper and deeper inside with every savage stroke.

“ _AHH_ ,” Bucky gasps, and it’s a deep, guttural sound that turns raspy and hoarse as Loki’s teeth close around his jugular vein and Steve begins to pound into him mercilessly. Steve is hitting his prostate perfectly with every stroke and he’s so lost in the pleasure, he cannot think, only react.He grips Loki’s biceps to hold himself steady, and every powerful thrust from Steve drives Loki’s back into the tree bark. He’s aware of it cutting into his skin, but he barely spares it a thought. The scent of James’ and Steve’s lust is so overpowering, he can think of nothing else, and his dick is dripping pre-cum.

Steve and Bucky are so aroused, they both know they’ll climax soon, any second now, and they don’t try to fight it. The growl that comes from Steve still doesn’t sound human as he pulses and empties into Bucky, pulling him back onto him as far as he can. Bucky’s head is thrown back, his back arched, and he spurts against Loki’s skin over and over, the hot splashes dripping down the pale belly into his pubic hair.

They’re still breathless, panting, but Steve isn’t ready to stop. He pulls out and growls at Bucky, voice still harsh, but almost human now.

“Hold him.”

Bucky steps to the side, pinning Loki against the tree with the metal arm across his chest, and Steve grips Loki’s face between his hands, kissing him roughly. He slowly slides to his knees, fingertips raking down Loki’s chest and belly and thighs. He licks up the still-warm cum and the sight of that makes both Loki and Bucky moan. Then, he takes hold of the stiff, dripping cock that juts out in front of him and Loki’s head slams back into the tree trunk. Steve sucks him in, using Bucky’s cum to wet the shaft and head.

Loki doesn’t even try to speak. He only lets the growling rumble build in his chest, and he’s not sure if it’s wolf or Jotunn, but it grows louder and deeper as Steve’s mouth works him relentlessly. A cry erupts from him that Steve has only heard once before, when Loki was Jotunn and tied to a bed at his mercy, and his mouth is filled with hot, thick liquid. Steve swallows twice to get it all, finally satisfied, and slides back up to his feet, his sweat-soaked body slick against Loki’s.

They all slump against each other, Bucky’s arm the only thing holding them up and in place, until Loki’s mind is clear enough to teleport them to the lake near camp. He makes the green bubble in the water again and they step into it, the steaming water swirling around their tired muscles. They lay back, limp and sated, legs intertwining under the water.

*****

After a good fifteen minutes of silent immobility smiling and gazing at the moons and stars, Loki manifested bottles of mead from the campsite into their hands. Steve and James took long pulls, thirstily emptying their bottles. They still hadn’t made any real effort at speaking, but Loki knew they had questions. Many questions, probably, and he finished his drink before replenishing all of theirs.

“So. May I assume you both enjoyed that little adventure?”

“Wow. ‘Enjoyed’ seems like such a bland word. It was intense, that’s for sure,” Steve said.

“Yeah, I was really getting into being a wolf. The sounds and the sights and the smells—absolutely amazing. And, that fight! Damn, that was something, fighting as a wolf. And, you’ll never convince me I didn’t look totally badass with that metal leg. God, the power of those jaws—my jaws—I’d love to do it again, sometime,” Bucky said.

“I could feel that wolf-mind urging me on. I had to force myself not to kill that male, but I would’ve felt bad if I had. And, the females did all kinds of weird things to me. _I_ didn’t want to have sex with them, but the wolf part of me sure did,” Steve said.

“What was the deal with them, anyway? If I didn’t know better, I’d swear they were the women from the bar. They even had the same hair color,” Bucky observed.

“That was my thought, too. They’re sisters and magical ability tends to be genetic, so I’m betting they’re both shape-shifters. They thought they’d get to us in wolf form. That the wolf’s desire to mate would be overpowering.”

“Well, it sure worked on me. Just not the way they figured it would,” Steve laughed.

“Yeah, we kinda got that. I’ve never seen you like that before, but I can’t say I didn’t love it,” Bucky grinned.

“Being wolf did seem to suit you,” Loki agreed, smiling, and then his expression turned serious.

“Steve, perhaps this is a good time to do something I’ve wanted to do since we returned from Knowhere, but I promised you I wouldn’t do any sort of magic to you without your permission. So...will you let me put the tracking spell back into you and renew the binding?”

The memory of staring down at Steve’s cold, pale body in the morgue and feeling the _nothingness_ where the binding should have been was something he never wanted to experience again.

“I was beginning to think you’d forgotten. Yes. I want to be bound to you, although I was kind of hoping you’d get down on one knee to ask me.”

“Perhaps this will do instead.”

Loki rolled over in the water and stretched out on top of Steve, holding himself steady with hands gripping the edge of the bubble on either side of Steve’s head. With steam rising around them, he whispered the incantation of the binding and kissed Steve softly before they both said the words.

“Du er min.”

Then, he turned to James and assumed the same position.

“Your binding is still there, but would you care to repeat it, consensually this time?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” he said, and smiled warmly as he and Loki repeated the ceremony.

*****

They went into town for breakfast the next morning and decided to go to the same diner before they went back to Earth. To their surprise, Princess and her sister were there as well, but they barely looked up from their meal and avoided any sort of acknowledgement. Bucky took that as evidence his theory was correct, and as soon as they’d ordered, he strolled over to Princess’ table.

She glared up at him as he pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, exposing the wounds on her ear lobe and cheek. They were still fresh and red, and Bucky leaned down, using his serious, concerned voice.

“I told you he was the jealous type.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title reference: Every happy grownup vacation movie ever.


End file.
